Toothbrush with rotating upper section

ABSTRACT

A toothbrush having a longitudinal axis, comprising a lower section and an upper section. The upper section and the lower section are generally aligned along the longitudinal axis. The lower section comprises a lower handle section and a shaft extending therefrom. The upper section comprises an upper body and a longitudinal cavity. The longitudinal cavity wall conforms to an outer wall of the shaft and is shaped so as to hold the shaft securely enough to avoid separation between the upper and lower sections. The longitudinal cavity wall is shaped so as to mate with the outer wall loosely enough to allow a force of the head pressing against the teeth of a user to effectuate a lateral rotation of the upper section in relation to the lower section. The lateral rotation reduces an amount of manual rotation of the toothbrush performed by the user.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The field of this invention is toothbrushes, and more particularly atoothbrush with rotating upper section.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART

Most toothbrushes on the market today are extremely difficult to use forpeople with arthritis, hand prosthesis, or other health conditions inwhich limited manipulative dexterity manifest themselves. The properprocess of brushing teeth with a regular toothbrush involves a greatnumber of intricate movements. A brusher must make sure that throughoutthe process of brushing, the brush is always at a proper angle, withbrushing surface always parallel to the surface of the teeth. The frontsurface of the lower front teeth has to be cleaned, then the position ofthe toothbrush has to be reoriented with wrist and fingers and the rear“tongue” surface of the lower front teeth has to be cleaned. Then theprocess has to be repeated with the front and rear surface of the upperfront teeth. Then the process has to be repeated with upper and lowercuspids and bicuspids on both sides of the mouth. Then the back teethhave to be cleaned in the same way, except that now in addition to theside surface, the upper biting surface of each tooth must be carefullycleaned.

While for most of us brushing of teeth is automatic, and while we do notthink of the process in such complex terms, for people suffering fromarthritis each of these simple reorientations of the toothbrush is anordeal of pain that has to be repeated hundreds of times per brushing,several times each day. Some choose to avoid the ordeal by brushing theteeth less thoroughly, for shorter amounts of time, or not at all.Latter approaches all result in poor dental hygiene and ultimate toothache and loss.

The influx of battery-powered brushes with moving or rotating heads havedecreased the number of back and forth movements involved in brushing,but they failed to address the problem of angular manipulations thatrequire the greatest dexterity from arthritic patients. Back-and-forthmovements are mostly performed by the upper arm, while movementsrequired to turn and reposition the toothbrush inside of a mouth areperformed by wrist and fingers—parts most affected by pain andimmobility in arthritic patients. The problem is only more severe inpeople with partial or full hand prosthesis.

Electric toothbrushes also tend to have a large bulky handle as comparedto ordinary mechanical toothbrushes. These toothbrushes are even harderto manually rotate by the user than a regular toothbrush since finemanipulation to position the brush head of an electric toothbrush onteeth surfaces is even harder than the manipulation needed to similarlyposition a manually-operated brush.

In light of the problem, there is a long-standing, strong, andpreviously unsatisfied need in the art for a brushing instrument thatcould alleviate the pain that so many people associate with the dailyritual of brushing of the teeth. There is a need for a toothbrush that,while incorporating the newest advancements in the art could alsominimize the necessity of wrist and digit movements and effort inrealigning the brush against the surface of the teeth.

The present invention achieves all of these objectives, while alsoproviding numerous additional benefits.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The toothbrush of the present invention comprises two sections, an uppersection and a lower section. The sections are held together via a shaft.The shaft, extending from the lower section, is secured inside thelongitudinal cavity that is located inside the upper section of thetoothbrush. The longitudinal cavity in the upper section is shaped in away to accommodate and hold the shaft of the lower section securely. Yetthe shape and position of the longitudinal cavity and the outer wall ofthe shaft allows the upper and lower sections to mate one with the otherloosely enough to allow a force of the toothbrush head pressing againstthe teeth and/or gums of a user during use of the toothbrush toeffectuate a lateral rotation of the upper section in relation to thelower section when the two sections are connected. This lateral rotationis sufficient to reduce the amount of manual rotation of the toothbrushthat would otherwise have to be performed by the user.

In accordance with one form of the present invention, the shaft containsa compressible flange, while the longitudinal cavity contains acorresponding recess to receive and hold the shaft with saidcompressible flange. The flange provides improved hold and can also beused to control the extent and smoothness of axial rotation. Inaccordance with another form of the present invention, a circumferentialchannel and a locking nub, positioned and shaped to mate with thecircumferential channel, are used instead of the flange and the recess.

In accordance with another form of the present invention, the incrementsof rotation are controlled through the means of the shaft ridge,contained inside of a slot in the longitudinal cavity of the uppersection. In certain embodiments, a lubricant and/or a friction fit areused to control lateral rotation between the upper and lower sections.In certain preferred embodiments having a shaft ridge, moreover,rotation-limiting slot ridges extend from the slot walls and aredesigned to impede and prevent uncontrolled free rotation of the shaftridge and hence uncontrolled lateral rotation of the upper section.

In accordance with yet another form of the present invention, theprinciple of the rotating upper section is applied to electricaltoothbrushes.

IMPORTANT OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

The following important objects and advantages of the present inventionare:

(1) To provide a toothbrush with improved reach;

(2) To provide a toothbrush with greater tooth surface contact duringbrushing;

(3) To provide a toothbrush that naturally rotates and aligns itsbrushing surface to be at the best angle for providing close contactbetween the teeth/gums and the broadest brushing surface of thetoothbrush;

(4) To provide a toothbrush that is more comfortable to use than priorart toothbrushes;

(5) To provide a toothbrush that would allow people with limitedmanipulative dexterity to change the fine angle orientation of bristleswith minimal exertion of force and minimal reorientation of the wristand digits of the hand;

(6) To provide a toothbrush that would allow people with limitedmanipulative dexterity to change the fine angle orientation of bristleswithout releasing the grasp of the handle and without repositioning thetoothbrush handle in hand;

(7) To provide a toothbrush with full left-right reorientation of thebristles that would allow people with compromised grasping ability toreach both sides of their mouth with toothbrush bristles withoutreleasing the grasp of the handle;

(8) To provide a toothbrush with full left-right reorientation of thebristles that would allow people with limited manipulative dexterity toreach both sides of their mouth with toothbrush bristles with minimalexertion of force and minimal reorientation of the wrist and digits ofthe hand;

(9) To provide a toothbrush that is convenient and efficient forbrushing the teeth in hard-to-see areas (such as back teeth), or forbrushing without a mirror;

(10) To provide a toothbrush that can be disassembled, making itconvenient for storage and travel;

(11) To provide a toothbrush with flexible central shaft (shaft),allowing for better contact with the teeth and greater access to hard-toreach areas;

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of the toothbrush of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a right side view of the present invention in disassembledform; the left side being identical thereto;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the present invention in disassembled form;

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the present invention in assembled form;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the toothbrush of FIG. 1 along line6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view of the toothbrush of FIG. 1 along line6A-A of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a top view of a second preferred embodiment of the toothbrushof the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the toothbrush of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a right side view of the toothbrush of FIG. 7 in disassembledstate; the left side being identical thereto.

FIG. 10 is a front view of the toothbrush of FIG. 7 in disassembledstate;

FIG. 11 is a rear view of the toothbrush of FIG. 7 in assembled state;and

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the toothbrush of FIG. 7 along lineof 12-12 of FIG. 11.

FIG. 12A is a cross-sectional view of the toothbrush of FIG. 7 alongline of 12A-12A of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a right side view of an alternative embodiment of thetoothbrush of the present invention having two flanges and appearing indisassembled form; the left side view thereof being identical thereto;.

FIG. 14 is a front view of the embodiment of FIG. 13 also indisassembled form;

FIG. 15 is an assembled view of the embodiment of the toothbrush ofFIGS. 13-14;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a toothbrush of the present inventionheld during use;

FIG. 17 is a right side view of an alternative embodiment of thetoothbrush of the present invention in disassembled form including apartial cross-section of the upper section;

FIG. 18 is a right side view of a further alternative embodiment of anelectric toothbrush of the present invention including a partialcross-section of the upper section and which is similar in structure tothe mechanical toothbrush of FIG. 17; and

FIG. 19 is a bottom view of the upper section taken from line 19-19 ofFIG. 17.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The apparatus of the present invention will now be illustrated byreference to the accompanying drawings. Preferred embodiments of thetoothbrush of the present invention have been assigned referencenumerals 10, 10 a. Other elements have been assigned the referencenumerals referred to below.

It is noted that as used herein the term “tongue surface of the teeth”refers to the surface of the teeth that is against the tongue. Incontrast the term “cheek surface of the teeth” means the other side orsurface of the teeth that is against the cheek.

The general concept of the toothbrush of the present invention is toallow the upper section 22 of the toothbrush, which includes thebristles 16 of the toothbrush, to rotate laterally in relation to thelower section 20 of the toothbrush 10 when a user having poor manualdexterity attempts to brush his or her teeth. Consequently, when theuser presses the brush and exerts a force against the gums and/or teeth,the force exerted produces a counter-force that causes a lateralrotation of the upper section 22 of the toothbrush 10, and in particularthe bristles 16 of the head 12 of said toothbrush 10.

Below are several examples of structure that embody and actualize theconcept of the present invention. However, it should be understood thatthe present invention is not limited to the particular structure inwhich the above concept is embodied.

In one preferred embodiment, toothbrush 10, as generally shown in FIGS.1-6A, comprises an upper section 22 and a lower section 20. The uppersection 22 and the lower section 20 are generally aligned along thelongitudinal axis with each other. The upper section comprises an upperhandle section 23, a head 12, a neck 14, and a plurality of bristles 16,extending outwardly from the head 12.

The lower section 20 comprises a lower handle section 21 and a shaft 24that extends longitudinally from the lower handle section 21. Shaft 24is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the lower handlesection 21 and accordingly, to the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush10.

The upper section comprises a longitudinal cavity 26 that is alignedalong the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush 10. The perimeter of thelongitudinal cavity 26 forms a longitudinal cavity wall 27. Thelongitudinal cavity wall 27 is shaped to generally conform to the shapeof an outer wall 25 of the shaft 24 in such a way as to hold the shaft24 securely when the upper section 22 and lower section 20 areconnected.

At the same time, the longitudinal cavity wall 27 is shaped so as tomate with the outer wall 25 of the shaft 24 loosely enough to allow aforce of the head 12 and bristles 16 pressing against teeth and/or gumsof a user during the use of the toothbrush 10 to effectuate a lateralrotation of the upper section 22 in relation to the lower section 20.Such connection would allow the entire upper section 22, including thehead 12 and bristles 16 to naturally rotate into the proper position forbrushing, when the user merely presses the head 12 and bristles 16against the gums and/or teeth. This would alleviate the user of therequirement to constantly readjust the toothbrush with wrists and digitsto conform to the intricate angles of the brushing surfaces of theteeth, gums and the tongue. Instead, upper section 22, and in particularthe bristles 16 as part of head 12 would rotate when the user pressesthe bristles 16 against the teeth and/or gums for brushing. In addition,it is believed that such rotation allows the head 12 and bristles 16 tonaturally align themselves to such an angle and position as wouldprovide the greatest contact between the bristles 16 and the surface ofthe teeth and would accordingly be most beneficial for brushing.

In certain preferred embodiments, there is a small clearance between theouter wall 25 of the shaft 24 and the longitudinal cavity wall 27. Thatclearance is filled with a lubricant 77 which serves to make rotation ofthe upper section uniform and reliable. Examples of such lubricants 77include various oils and greases and the full range of suitablelubricants including water as is well-known to those skilled in the art.In certain other embodiments, the lubricant 77 is limited to certainareas along the longitudinal axis, as described further below.

As discussed below, a system of ridges and slots can be used to regulatelateral rotation of upper section 22 or 22 a in relation to lowersection 20 or 20 a. In such a case, there will be certain embodimentswherein lubricant 77 is absent or limited to portions of the connectionbetween upper section 22, 22 a and lower section 20, 20 a other thanwhere a shaft ridge and a slot is present. Accordingly, although FIGS.6A and 12A show the presence of lubricant 77, such lubricant may beomitted in certain embodiments. Lubricant 77 is more likely to bepresent at the points/areas shown in cross-sectional FIGS. 6 and 12.

FIGS. 1-6A illustrate the embodiment of the brush 10, where the shaft 24is smoothly shaped and rounded at the upper end to facilitate easydisassembly of the upper and lower sections of the toothbrush along thelongitudinal axis for storage. One reason to have the option ofdisassembly of brush 10 into sections (and in certain embodimentsremoval of shaft 24) is space-saving when traveling or otherwise storingtoothbrush 10 in a holder. During ordinary use of the toothbrush 10,such as intensive brushing while standing, or with certain embodimentsof brush 10, disassembly may be unnecessary. For such uses an embodimentof the toothbrush 10A discussed below may be preferred.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-6A, upper section 22 is held to lowersection 20 by friction along the length of the shaft 24 and longitudinalcavity 26. Another factor maintaining the connection between the lowerand upper sections in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-6A is the presenceof a shaft ridge 29 extending from shaft wall 25 of shaft 24 mating witha corresponding slot 35 in longitudinal cavity 26 of upper section 22,as explained further below. In certain embodiments, a lower wall 40 ofthe slot 35 prevents lower section 20 from falling out of upper section22. Furthermore, lubrication material 77 such as grease can be stickyenough to substantially increase the tack force needed to be overcome toseparate upper section 22 from lower section 20.

FIG. 7 through FIG. 12B illustrate the embodiment of the toothbrush 10a, where the top section of the shaft 24 a has a flange 30 that wouldmake it harder to remove lower section 20 from upper section 22. Thecorresponding longitudinal cavity 26 a on the upper section 22 acontains a recess 32 conforming to the shape of flange 30. Recess 32 isdesigned to securely receive, accommodate, lock and hold shaft 24 a atthe location of flange 30.

It should be noted that the flange 30 does not have to be at the topsection of the shaft 24 a and does not have to be limited to one innumber. As best illustrated on the embodiment of toothbrush 10 b onFIGS. 13-15, there can be several flanges, such as an upper flange 30 aand a lower flange 30 b attached to or expanding from the shaft/post 24b. These flanges can be located at any point of flange 30 a and fit intocorrespondingly located, inverse-flange-shaped recesses such as theupper recess 32 a and a lower recess 32 b in FIGS. 13-14.

In the preferred embodiment, flange 30 is made of compressible material,such as rubber. However, another material may be used for tighterlateral lock, or for a change in frictional characteristics. Similarly,in the preferred embodiments, shafts 24, 24 a, 24 b are made of a rigidmaterial

In certain alternative embodiments, the present invention contemplatesfurther enhancing the movement of the bristles 16 in response topressure against the teeth and/or gums. This is achieved by use of asemi-flexible shaft 24 (24 a, 24 b). This allows upper section 22 to bemovable left and right to a small extent since shaft 24 issemi-flexible. Semi-flexible materials include certain plastics or hardresinous materials as well as other materials well known to thoseskilled in the art. The thickness of certain portions of the shaft 24(24 a, 24 b) can also be varied to vary the degree of flexibility. Inthis case, when bristles 16 are pushed against the teeth and/or gums,the force is counteracted not only by the lateral rotation of the uppersection but also by the bending of upper section 22 away from thelongitudinal axis.

It is contemplated by the present invention that the rotation of theupper section 22 in relation to the lower section 20 can be incremental,continuous, or a combination of both. In addition, the maximum lateralrotation of the upper section 22 can span a variety of arcs in differentembodiments. Such arcs can range from 0 to 360 degrees and beyond,depending upon the intended use. The control over the degree and thetype of rotation can be achieved through the use of friction, acombination of nipples and recesses, ridges and recesses or slots,lubrication, and/or any other means now known or later invented. Thecoefficient of friction between the outer surface of the shaft and thecavity walls depends on and can also be varied by the substitution ofthe materials on the surfaces of the lower section 20, 20 a and uppersection 22, 22 a and the degree of tightness of the fit between them(i.e. the size of any clearance between the upper 22 and lower 20sections).

In certain preferred embodiments, the rotation of the lower section 20and upper section 22 is a combination of incremental and continuousrotation. The control over rotation is achieved through a shaft ridge29, projecting outwardly from shaft 24 and preferably forming anintegral unit thereto. In certain alternative embodiments, this ridge 29can instead project directly from flange 30. In the preferredembodiment, the attachment points connecting the shaft 24 and a shaftridge 29 are rigid, although the shaft ridge 29 itself may beconstructed of flexible material.

In embodiments with shaft ridge 29, when upper section 22 and lowersection 20 are united, shaft ridge 29 is contained inside one or moreslots. The collection of slots, which may be singular or plural, isreferred to herein as the at least one slot 35. The at least one slotis/are defined within longitudinal cavity 26 a. The slots 35 are shapedto receive the shaft ridge 29 with sufficient clearance between theshaft ridge 29 and an outer wall 35 b of each particular slot to allowlateral rotation of the shaft 24, 24 a and the shaft ridge 29 within theslot 35. This is best appreciated from FIGS. 6A and 12A.

This lateral rotation of the shaft 24, 24 a and the shaft ridge 29within each slot 35 of the at least one slot 35 accordingly allowsrotation of upper section 22 in relation to lower section 20. In thepreferred embodiment, such rotation is of continuous nature and allowsthe head of the toothbrush to naturally vary the angle of the head 12and bristles 16 and to align itself to the brushing surface of theteeth, gums and the tongue.

In certain embodiments, some degree of incremental rotation may bedesirable in order to prevent the head 12 and bristles 16 fromaccidentally rotating away from the intended brushing surface. In one ofsuch embodiment such incremental rotation is achieved through the use ofmultiple slot end walls or rotation-limiting slot ridges, sometimesreferred to herein as the at least two slot end walls 35 a orrotation-limiting slot ridges 35 a. These slot end wallsrotation-limiting slot ridges 35 a extend into the at least one slot 35enough to block rotation of the shaft ridge 29 past the end of a slot 35during the course of brushing, or least block such rotation unlessadditional force/effort is applied.

In certain alternative embodiments, two shaft ridges 29 can extend intoone slot 35 of the at least one slot 35 and are positioned at the leftand right outer limits of the slot 35.

Although the magnitude of the arc spanning a slot 35 of the at least oneslot 35 can range from 0 to 360 degrees, in the preferred embodiment,individuals slots 35 of the at least one slot 35 have rotational arcs ofapproximately 70 to 90 degrees, which should provide sufficientcontinuous rotation in order for the head 12 and the bristles 16 tonaturally adjust to fine angles on the brushing surface, yet be limitingenough to prevent upper section 22 from rotating away from the brushingsurface.

The slot end walls 35 a and/or the shaft ridge 29 must be flexibleenough to allow the rotation of the shaft ridge 29 past the slot endwall 35 a when the user intentionally applies force to do so. This wouldallow the user who, for example, is holding the toothbrush 10 in hisright hand and is cleaning the tongue surface of the teeth on the leftside to rotate with his left hand (or his mouth) the upper section 22 oftoothbrush 10, 10 a, 10 b approximately 180 rotational degrees in aclockwise direction to clean the tongue surface of the teeth on theright side or the cheek surface of the teeth on the left side withoutsignificantly repositioning his wrist or releasing the toothbrush heldin his arthritic right hand or prosthesis.

Although in most preferred embodiments shaft 24 a, 24 is generallyintegrally connected to lower section 20 a, 20, it is also contemplatedby the present invention that shaft 24, 24 a can be a separate part thatis removable. As such, shaft 24, 24 a would be inserted into a lowerlongitudinal cavity 28 in the lower handle section 21 of lower section20 a, as best appreciated from FIGS. 9 and 10. This would eliminate astress point where the shaft 24 a meets the top of lower handle section21 and thereby provide a more securely embedded shaft 24 a, preventingthe possibility of the breakage of shaft 24 a at the point of connectionwith lower handle section 21. In addition, if shaft 24 a is removable,additional storage space can be achieved.

When shaft 24 a is removable, this further distributes the frictionalpressure and makes for a smoother lateral rotation of the upper section22 a in relation to the lower section 20 a since each section (20 a, 22a) would be capable of rotating independently around shaft 24 a. Inaddition, lubricant 77 can be interposed between the bottom of the shaft24 a and the bottom of lower longitudinal cavity 28.

In another preferred embodiment of the toothbrush of the presentinvention (herein described in relation to the reference numerals of thefirst-described preferred embodiment but which may be applied to otherpreferred embodiment herein), the connection between upper section 22and lower section 20 is held in place by means of at least oneprotuberance 66 extending from longitudinal cavity wall 27 of uppersection 20 and preferably two opposing protuberances 66 that extend intothe cavity 26. The at least one protuberances 66 are also referred to asat least one locking nub 66, or locking nubs 66.

In this embodiment, shaft 24 is not elongated but is short and roundedlike a head and has a circumferential channel 64 or groove 64 engravedinto shaft 24, for example at a lower portion of the shaft 24, for theaccommodation of the protuberance 66. The locking nubs 66 are shaped andpositioned to fit into the circumferential channel 64 in such a way asto hold the upper and lower sections connected to each other during useof the toothbrush 10. The principle of function of the nubs and thecircumferential channel is generally similar to that described above inconnection with the flange 30 and the recess 32. For example, thelocking nub may be made of a compressible plastic to allow the upperportion of the shaft past locking nubs so that the locking nubs can sitin the channel. In certain preferred embodiments, moreover, the headportion 24 c of the shaft, that is, the portion of the shaft 24 abovethe circumferential channel, can be made to be rounded on the sides tofacilitate the easing of the head portion past the locking nubs, as bestseen in FIG. 17.

As explained above with respect to other preferred embodiments, theconnection is such that a force of the head pressing against teethand/or gums of a user during use of the toothbrush 10 is able toeffectuate a lateral rotation of the upper section 22 in relation to thelower section 20.

While there is just one circumferential channel 64 and two locking nubs66 in the preferred embodiment, the number of locking nubs 66 andcircumferential channels 64 may vary in alternative embodiments. Inaddition, in certain embodiments the locking nubs 66 can be located onthe shaft 24 of the lower section 20, whereas the circumferentialchannel 64 can be engraved into the cavity wall 27 of upper section 22.

In certain preferred embodiments, as shown in FIG. 17, the upper sectionmay also have an “udder” 101 extending into the cavity 26 so as toforcibly penetrate an aperture on a top of the head portion 24 c ofshaft 24 and lock into shaft 24 using a frictional fit, a compressibleplastic bulge or other structures and means well known to those skilledin the art. Although FIG. 17 depicts both the locking nubs 66 and theudder 101, the present invention contemplates one and not two of theseconnection mechanisms to be present in the toothbrush, i.e. nubs or theudder.

In certain alternative embodiments, not only can the locking nubs 66function to hold the lower section 20 aligned with and attached to theupper section 22, but they can also function as the rotation limitingridges. In such an embodiment, a break in the circumferential channel64, or another protuberance 64 a projecting from the circumferentialchannel 64 can act as the shaft ridge. Following the principlesdescribed above in connection with discussion of the shaft ridge 24 androtation-limiting ridges 35 a, this protuberance 64 a or break in thechannel 64 (shaft ridge) will limit the rotational arc that the lockingnubs 66 can make.

It should also be appreciated that the concept of the present inventionwherein toothbrush 10 has a rotating upper section 22 and a lowersection 20 that is held by the user can also be applied to electrictoothbrushes. Electric toothbrushes tend to have a large bulky handle ascompared to ordinary mechanical toothbrushes. These would be even harderto manually rotate by the user than a regular toothbrush since finemanipulation to position the brush head of an electric toothbrush onteeth surfaces is even harder than the manipulation needed to similarlyposition a mechanical brush. Therefore, the incorporation of the presentinvention into electrical toothbrushes of various designs would be ofgreat benefit.

In particular, as shown in FIG. 18, the physical structure of theembodiment of FIG. 17 can be employed for electric toothbrushes. In thatcase udder 101 functions as an electric contact touching the top of headportion 24 c and it need not penetrate head portion 24 c.

The present invention contemplates numerous embodiments as an electricaltoothbrush. Although details of electrical toothbrushes are known tothose skilled in the art and are described herein generally, certaindetails are uniquely related to the toothbrush of the present inventionand are described herein.

The present invention embodied in an electric toothbrush contains thesame elements described herein for the invention embodied in amechanical embodiment, except that an electric toothbrush wouldobviously also contain the necessary electrical parts that it make itwork as an electric toothbrush. For example, it would also contain theelectrical mechanism (not shown) that causes the brush head 12 orbristles 16 to vibrate, rotate, emit plaque-destroying ultrasound or toperform any other functions associated with electrical toothbrushes. Insome embodiments, the shaft 24, 24 a may have to be designed so that itaccommodates the electrical mechanism and this may require widening thediameter of the toothbrush 10, 10 a.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention applied to anelectric toothbrush, the electrical motor (not shown) and the powersource (not shown) of the toothbrush may be fully contained in arotating/vibrating head of the toothbrush 10 or fully contained in thelower section 20 of the toothbrush 10. In the latter case, theelectrical mechanism (not shown) in the lower section 20 can beconnected with moving parts of the upper section 22 through the use ofbelts (not shown) or other connectors (not shown) inside of the shaft24, through oscillating magnetic signals, or through the use of any ofnumerous other means well known to those skilled in the art.

In certain electric embodiments of toothbrush 10, the motor (not shown)is located in the upper section 22, while the power supply (not shown),such as batteries is contained in the lower section 20. In such anembodiment, wires, if they were to be used to conduct electrical currentfrom the lower section 20 to the upper section 22 of electric toothbrushcould interfere with the lateral rotation of the upper section and couldimpede disassembly of the toothbrush. It is noted that in one of thepreferred embodiments of the electrical toothbrush of the presentinvention, there are no wires for the electrical connection of the uppersection 22 to the lower section 20. Instead, sections of the shaft 24and sections of the cavity wall 27 comprise electrical contacts. Thecontacts on the shaft 24 and cavity wall 27 (for example udder 101 ofFIG. 19) are shaped and aligned with each other to allow the uppersection 22 and the lower section 20 to close an electrical circuit (notshown) when the toothbrush 10 is assembled and to maintain an electricalcircuit when a portion of the upper section 22 is rotating.

It is to be understood that while the apparatus of this invention havebeen described and illustrated in detail, the above-describedembodiments are simply illustrative of the principles of the invention.It is to be understood also that various other modifications and changesmay be devised by those skilled in the art which will embody theprinciples of the invention and fall within the spirit and scopethereof. It is not desired to limit the invention to the exactconstruction and operation shown and described. The spirit and scope ofthis invention are limited only by the spirit and scope of the followingclaims.

1. A toothbrush having a longitudinal axis and designed to reduce anamount of manual rotation of the toothbrush performed by the user,comprising: a lower section, an upper section, the upper sectionincluding a head, a neck and an upper handle section, the head having anarray of bristles extending outwardly from said head, the upper sectionand the lower section being generally aligned along the longitudinalaxis, said lower section comprising a lower handle section and a shaftextending longitudinally from the lower handle section, said upperhandle section having a longitudinal cavity defined therein and having alongitudinal cavity wall, said longitudinal cavity aligned with thelongitudinal axis of the toothbrush, the longitudinal cavity wallconforming generally to a shape of an outer wall of the shaft and shapedso as to hold the shaft securely when the upper and lower sections areconnected, the longitudinal cavity wall shaped so as to mate with theouter wall loosely enough to allow a force of the head pressing againsta teeth and/or gums of a user during use of the toothbrush to effectuatea lateral rotation of the upper section in relation to the lowersection.
 2. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein said shaft has a flangeand wherein said longitudinal cavity contains a recess, shaped tosecurely receive and hold said flange.
 3. The toothbrush of claim 2,wherein the flange is made of a compressible material.
 4. The toothbrushof claim 1, wherein clearance between the shaft and the longitudinalcavity wall contains a lubricant.
 5. The toothbrush of claim 1, whereinclearance between the shaft and the walls of the longitudinal cavitycontains lubricant.
 6. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the outer wallof the shaft and the longitudinal cavity wall are both substantiallycylindrical.
 7. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the lateral rotationis sufficient to obviate a need for the user to turn the toothbrushmanually.
 8. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein said upper section andsaid lower section are capable of a 360 degree rotation in relation toone another.
 9. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein the shaft is made ofsemi-flexible material.
 10. The toothbrush of claim 1, wherein saidshaft has a shaft ridge projecting outwardly from the shaft, and whereinsaid longitudinal cavity has an at least one slot defined therein, eachparticular slot of the at least one slot positioned and shaped toreceive the shaft ridge with sufficient clearance between the shaftridge and an outer wall of the particular slot to allow lateral rotationof the upper section in relation to the lower section when the shaftridge is located within the particular slot.
 11. The toothbrush of claim10, wherein said slot has a slot wall including at least one slot endwall that impedes uncontrolled rotation of the shaft ridge past the slotend wall during use of the toothbrush.
 12. The toothbrush of claim 11,wherein the shaft ridge is made of material flexible enough to allow therotation of the shaft ridge past the slot end wall with further effortfrom the user.
 13. The toothbrush of claim 10, wherein said slot isaligned along the longitudinal axis of the toothbrush.
 14. Thetoothbrush of claim 10, wherein clearance between the shaft and thelongitudinal cavity wall contains a lubricant.
 15. The toothbrush ofclaim 10, wherein the lateral rotation is sufficient to obviate a needfor the user to turn the toothbrush manually.
 16. A toothbrush having alongitudinal axis and designed to reduce an amount of manual rotation ofthe toothbrush performed by the user, comprising: a lower section, anupper section, the upper section including a head and a neck, the headhaving an array of bristles extending outwardly from said head, theupper section and the lower section being generally aligned along thelongitudinal axis, said lower section comprising a lower handle sectionand a shaft extending from the lower handle section, said upper sectionhaving a cavity defined therein and having a cavity wall, said cavitywall shaped and positioned so as to mate with the outer wall of theshaft in a locking relation, said locking relation being loose enough toallow a force of the head pressing against the teeth and/or gums of auser during use of the toothbrush to effectuate a lateral rotation ofthe upper section in relation to the lower section, said lockingrelation capable of being disconnected when the toothbrush is not inuse.
 17. The toothbrush of claim 16, wherein said shaft has acircumferential channel, engraved therein, and wherein the cavity wallcontains at least one locking nub, the locking nub projecting from thecavity wall into the cavity, said at least one locking nub positionedand shaped to mate with the circumferential channel so as to hold theupper and lower sections connected to each other when the toothbrush isin use.
 18. The toothbrush of claim 16, wherein the cavity wall has acircumferential channel engraved therein, and wherein at least onelocking nub is projecting outwardly from the shaft, said at least onelocking nub positioned and shaped to mate with the circumferentialchannel so as to hold the upper and lower sections connected to eachother when the toothbrush is in use.
 19. The toothbrush of claim 17,wherein the at least one locking nub comprises two locking nubs.
 20. Thetoothbrush of claim 18, wherein the at least two locking nubs comprisetwo locking nubs.
 21. The toothbrush of claim 17, wherein the toothbrushis operated electrically to move the bristles.
 22. The toothbrush ofclaim 18, wherein the toothbrush is operated electrically to move thebristles.
 23. The toothbrush of claim 21, wherein the upper section andthe lower section close an electrical circuit when connected.
 24. Thetoothbrush of claim 22, wherein the upper section and the lower sectionclose an electrical circuit when connected.
 25. The toothbrush of claim16, wherein said shaft has an aperture on a head portion of said shaft,and wherein the cavity wall contains at least one locking nub, thelocking nub projecting from the cavity wall into the cavity, said atleast one locking nub positioned and shaped to penetrate the headportion through the aperture so as to hold the upper and lower sectionsconnected to each other when the toothbrush is in use.